Column: Ways to avoid getting stuck in life’s traps

By Alice Cullinan

Published: Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 10:50 AM.

Spring is such a wonderful time of year, but it has its unpleasant aspects as well. Flowers and trees are beautiful, yet the pollen causes sneezing and lots of car-washing. I enjoy my deck, but carpenter bees, wasps and yellow jackets also want to occupy that space. I am trying a different way to deal with the flying pests this year: traps.

My brother built a carpenter bee trap for me, and I purchased a wasp/yellow jacket trap from a garden store. I was ecstatic when I caught the first carpenter bee. But the funniest thing about my “trapping experiences” involved the trap I hung on a tree branch where I had seen some yellow jackets the day before.

I filled the trap with water, which the instructions indicated would activate the “attractant.” Of course, the next day, I went out to see if I had caught any of the unwanted yard-invaders. I have deep respect for them (fear, really), so I didn’t want to get too close to the trap in case there were some on or near it that had not been killed or caught. And much to my delight, from my safe position I saw four or five yellow jackets inside the trap.

Once more ,I was elated and shared my “catch report” with a friend. I decided not to dump the trap since there was room in it for more insects. I returned to the trap the next day to see if I had been successful again. I saw the same number of yellow jackets ... and in the same place in the “bag-trap,” which is transparent plastic, by the way. I managed to build enough courage to take a closer look, only to discover that the yellow jackets I had caught the day before are pictures painted on the plastic. How I missed seeing that when I hung the trap, I am not sure. But I have laughed a lot about this episode. In fact, every time I go out to check the trap, I laugh about my oversight!

What has this adventure to do with a faith column, you might ask? I see several spiritual truths contained in this humorous experience:

1. What we think is truth, is for us at that moment truth. So, I need to be sure that the truth I believe is really truth.

2. We are deeply affected by what we perceive as harm, even when it is not really harmful. Many of us suffer great anguish over things that never happen and about which we worry.

Spring is such a wonderful time of year, but it has its unpleasant aspects as well. Flowers and trees are beautiful, yet the pollen causes sneezing and lots of car-washing. I enjoy my deck, but carpenter bees, wasps and yellow jackets also want to occupy that space. I am trying a different way to deal with the flying pests this year: traps.

My brother built a carpenter bee trap for me, and I purchased a wasp/yellow jacket trap from a garden store. I was ecstatic when I caught the first carpenter bee. But the funniest thing about my “trapping experiences” involved the trap I hung on a tree branch where I had seen some yellow jackets the day before.

I filled the trap with water, which the instructions indicated would activate the “attractant.” Of course, the next day, I went out to see if I had caught any of the unwanted yard-invaders. I have deep respect for them (fear, really), so I didn’t want to get too close to the trap in case there were some on or near it that had not been killed or caught. And much to my delight, from my safe position I saw four or five yellow jackets inside the trap.

Once more ,I was elated and shared my “catch report” with a friend. I decided not to dump the trap since there was room in it for more insects. I returned to the trap the next day to see if I had been successful again. I saw the same number of yellow jackets ... and in the same place in the “bag-trap,” which is transparent plastic, by the way. I managed to build enough courage to take a closer look, only to discover that the yellow jackets I had caught the day before are pictures painted on the plastic. How I missed seeing that when I hung the trap, I am not sure. But I have laughed a lot about this episode. In fact, every time I go out to check the trap, I laugh about my oversight!

What has this adventure to do with a faith column, you might ask? I see several spiritual truths contained in this humorous experience:

1. What we think is truth, is for us at that moment truth. So, I need to be sure that the truth I believe is really truth.

2. We are deeply affected by what we perceive as harm, even when it is not really harmful. Many of us suffer great anguish over things that never happen and about which we worry.

3. Our thoughts have great control over our feelings and actions; therefore, we need to make sure they are based on truth.

4. It is very easy to overlook things that are real and instead see what we want to see.

5. Life can really be fun if you don’t take yourself too seriously! Remember this important truth found in Philippians 4: 8 – “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”

Dr. Alice Cullinan, Professor Emerita of Religion, Gardner-Webb University, is Spiritual Enrichment Leader of the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association. She is the author of three books and 23 devotional guides.